The Labor enquirer., 1887-01-29
unttld missfy % ~ human -; sad
the& conventional codae hslps then ~
| pstqats 4 Laxzm n. 6wASx.
~ Cnass -.

I8l4 - V1oeD 0144s 81 "a 4
Tho feeling which shus warps work
|ingmsn's conceptions. at the sams time
|prsIsnts them ff,m seeing that each q
|thelk unions Il Sel6shly aiming % beniit
|at tke axpsnss Of The industrial popula-
|tion| q large. When IN association Of
carpenters or Of engineers make rules
limiting the number Of apprentices sd-
mitted. with the view of maintaining
the rate Of wages paid to it, members.
Fthen 1t thus tacitly says 10 every sppli.
dant beyond the number allowed: go
and apprentice yourself elsewhere" it is
Indirectly saying to all other bodies Of
artisans: "You may have your wages
lowered BY increasing your numbers.
but va will not" And when the other
bodies ofartisaus severslly dothe Ike,
the general result is that the incorpor-
ated workers of all orders say to the
surplus sons Of workers, who want to
find occupation. "We will none Of Us let
our masters employ vou." Thus each
trade, in its eagerness for self protection,
is regardless of othsr trades, and sacri-
fees members among the generation Of
the artisan class.
The ruling and EMPLOYING classes dis
play an equally strong bias of the oppo.
site kind. From their point of view.
the behavior of their poorer fellow citi-
|aens throughout these struggles appears
uniformly blamable. That they expert
ence from strike inconvenience more
or less considerable. suficiently proves
to them that the strike must be wrong.
That the many should be reckless of the
welfare Of the few. seems to the few 9
grievance not to be endured. This
mental attitude Of the employing classes
is daily shown bv the criticisms passed
on servants. Read "The Greatest Plague
in Life," or listen to the complaints oi
every housewife and you will see tina,
the minds OIL, masters and mistresses are
so much occupied with their Own inter.
ests as to leave little room for the inter.
ests Of the men and maids in their ser
vice. The very title. "The Greatest
Plague in Life" implies that the onl,
life worthy Of notice. is the life to which
servants minister; and there Is entir
Inconsistencies that book with thu
same title, written BY servants about
masters and mistresses, might be filed
wit b equally severe criticisms ant
grievances far more serious.
The feeling shown bv the rich is il
truth but mitigated form of the feel
ing which the owners of serfs displayed
In early times bondsmen we're treated
as though they existed simply for th
benefit Of their owners and down t
the present time the belief pervadin
the select ranks (not expressed bu
clearly implied) is that the convenienc,
Of the select Is the first consideration
and the. welfare of the masses a second
ary consideration. The existing con
ception must be in the end. entireI.
changed. Just as the old theory Of po
lltical government has been trans
for med that the ruling agent. instead O
being the owner Of, the nation, has com
to be regarded as servant of the nation
as the old theory of social and industrla
government has to undergo transfer
nation which will make the regulating
classes feel, while duly pursuing thei
own interests, that their interests ar
sec condary to the interests Of the masse
whose labors they direct. In candi,
moments the Social treadmill" is com
planned of by those who nevertheless
thin nix themselves compelled to keep ul
Its monotonous round. As everv on
may see, fashionable life is passed, no
in being happy, but in playing at being
happy. And vet the manifest corollar,
is not drawn by those engaged in thi
life. - It will become a matte
of wonder that there should ever have
existed those who thought it admirable
to enjoy without working. at the ex
pense of others. who worked withou
enjoying. Herbert Spencer "Strdy o
Sociology"